The Weapon
by F.Marshmallow
Summary: It's been three years since Voldemort won the battle of Hogwarts. Many have died, and the Resistance has all but fallen. But word is spreading, and secrets don't stay secrets forever: Voldemort is hiding a weapon in the midst of an ancient forest. Hermione has vowed to discover and retrieve this weapon—whatever it may be, and whatever it may take. PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K Rowling maintains all rights over any recognisable content within this fanwork. This was written solely for creative purposes. **

**Summary: It's been three years since Voldemort won the battle of Hogwarts. Many have died, and the Resistance has all but fallen. But word is spreading, and secrets don't stay secrets forever: Voldemort is hiding a weapon in the midst of an ancient forest.**

**In a last effort to avenge her friends and give hope to the resistance's dying cause, Hermione has vowed to discover and retrieve this weapon—whatever it may be.**

**But things don't always go to plan...**

**Warnings:**** Graphic depictions of death. Graphic depictions of violence. Blood and Gore. Explicit sexual content. Mentions of rape. Elements of abuse. Graphic depictions of injuries and magical dueling. **

**A/N: Helloooo! I've been debating whether or not to post this, as it's rather... different. But I wrote it for fun, and it's not plot-centric, so I left it as is—detailed descriptions and all... I have a few random chapters, in no particular order, for this story. I'm going to be posting them in the form of two-shots over the next few weeks. **

**But for now, this is smack-dab in the middle of the chaos ;)**

* * *

She was running, scrambling and climbing over the uneven ground as fast as she could, when she heard their foul shouts echoing through the forest. Stiffening, Hermione became as still as the trees surrounding her.

They were taunting her.

They wanted her to know that they could see her.

Remembering what had been done to the last resistance member they found, a shiver of fear went down her spine. She couldn't let them catch her. Though, if they did, it would be entirely her fault.

In truth, she had been naïve—reckless even. During her planning, she had scouted the borders of this forest repeatedly, and although there had been no patrols surrounding the western region during those weeks, today had proven to be an anomaly. Hermione had barely reached the cover of the tree-line when a loud, crackling curse rushed past her, almost grazing her arm.

She should have planned for this. She should have taken every precaution. But she had been too sure of herself, or maybe, just too desperate...

Hermione eyed the depths of forest with trepidation. She had been running for quite some time and the sparse tree-line had steadily grown taller, thicker and darker the farther she went. The first thing she noticed, was that the air was cooler here—and more humid. The chill of the night still lingered above the damp ground.

Squinting, she attempted to assess her surroundings, only to realise just how deep within the forest she had ventured already. Save for the slanting rays of sunlight breaking through the thick boughs of the trees, illuminating the forest with scattered pillars of light, she couldn't see much. This forest was old—ancient even. New life had long since bloomed and peaked within these parts, constructing an expansive, dense canopy which shrouded the depths of these woods in an eerie darkness. But the boughs were not alone in their expanse. Twisted roots of the giant, knarred trees webbed across the forest floor, each growth and curve forming a pattern borne from hundreds of years.

In another life, she may have marvelled at such a mystical sight, but running through these densely packed woods was exceedingly difficult. Indeed, her badly scraped knees and hands bore the evidence of her many encounters with the elaborate root system alone. There were no paths for her to follow—man-made or otherwise. These woods were uninhabited, and had been for many years. Not a single creature stirred. Thus, she was running blindly, stumbling through the trees towards where she could only guess the centre of the forest was.

Suppressing the rattled breaths which still tore at her lungs, Hermione realised it had become strangely quiet since she had stopped—too quiet. She tried to pick up the sounds of her pursuers, however, they had ceased their shouting and she couldn't hear them anymore. Rarely had she had felt so anxious and discomposed over the years. Nothing had gone to plan, and the uncomfortable truth of the situation was becoming blatantly clear.

They were going to catch her.

Pausing her thoughts for a moment, her gaze slid warily to the west, watching the area she had just emerged from.

Nothing.

_Where are they? _

There was wind, and leaves rustling, and branches creaking, and something else…

It was them.

She could hear them moving, and they were decidedly close. The distinct sounds of their heavy boots stomping against the ground were growing louder with every frantic jolt of her heart. Their shouts had sounded distant enough, though, whether it was an echoing trick of the forest, or they had simply picked up on her trail, they were much nearer than she had originally thought.

Swearing under her breath, Hermione tightened her grip on her wand and eased herself behind an upturned tree, preparing to confront her pursuers. It would be folly to keep running until she knew what she was up against; she would tire too quickly and she would need her strength to fight if it came down to it.

And she was certain that it would.

_Though, it wouldn't be so bad, dying here, _Hermione mused sombrely. I_ won't find a greater purpose for my life than giving my all to the Resistance. And I wouldn't be the first to do so.  
_

She had seen it many times.

Hermione had witnessed her friends—and countless other Resistance members—die all around her. At first, fuelled by Harry's death, their numbers were strong and their spirits stronger. Then, as time passed and more Resistance members fell, the Resistance scrambled—hiding across the country, and barely regrouping whenever they were needed.

The weapon was the Resistance's last hope.

It was _her_ last hope.

At length, harsh voices carried through the wind once more. These wizards were alarmingly confident and careless in their pursuit. Undoubtedly, they saw her as easy prey. Chasing her, hunting her, it was nothing more than a game.

But it would not be the case.

Crouched within the cover of the shadows, her wand at the ready, Hermione waited for them to emerge. Still hidden by the large, upturned tree, she steeled herself as the sound of boots crunching over dead leaves sounded from merely a few feet away.

"Where'd she go?"

"Makes no matter, does it?" A second voice said, deeper. "I bet she's tired out. Nothing but skin and bones, this one."

"She's hiding. Probably disillusioned herself if she has half a mind to her." The first voice again. "Just you wait. She'll make a run for it."

A rough grunt in reply was all she heard from the other wizard.

_There are two of them then, _she noted_, _biting her lip as she tried to assess the situation. Hermione couldn't see them, but she could hear them. Though, what troubled her, was that she was sure there had been three different voices shouting earlier.

Either way, she was outnumbered.

And so, gripped with a resolve that scarcely overshadowed her fear, she sat in a heightened state of awareness, flinching at the sound of every crunching leaf or snap of a fallen branch. Hermione could even hear their ragged breathing whenever they passed dangerously near where she hid.

Being forced to crouch down further behind the upturned tree every time they drew nearer, she was unable to keep an eye on the area behind her for those few, valuable seconds. Not only was this disconcerting, but her cover was minimal, and she was bound to be discovered soon.

She was only prolonging the inevitable.

Though, to be fair, she had gained a slight advantage from her hidden position; she knew what—or who—she was up against now. Hermione had only been able to glimpse them for a brief moment, but she had seen them clear enough: Two Snatchers were presently stalking around the trees to her left.

Snatchers were nowhere near the cruelty of Death Eaters, but it was well known that the select few who remained within Voldemort's ranks, were vile and malicious specimens who took great pleasure in tormenting their victims.

Thus, Hermione was glad that they remained in her periphery—for now, at least. Still, it chilled her blood to know that they were so close. It wouldn't be long until they encircled the area behind her, and time was running out.

She couldn't wait.

In a sense, the one Snatcher had been correct in his assumption. She was going to make a run for it. However, with any luck—and a fair bit of skill—they would neither hear nor see her, and she would be able to continue without incident.

Peering around the fallen tree, her wrist moved in as small a movement as possible whilst she pointed her wand to the right, wordlessly casting a charm. A flock of small, brown birds emerged from the end of her wand, and in the same breath, she sent them jostling noisily through the trees farthest away from her.

"What was that?"

Angling his head to the side, the Snatcher with the deeper voice looked to where the charmed birds had just flown. "Eh, you think she coulda slipped past us?"

She watched with bated breath as they shared an uncertain look between them. Then, to her relief, the other Snatcher started towards where the birds had flown to. Without thought, lest she hesitate, Hermione lurched to her feet, sprinting through the forest once more whilst her pursuers eyes were turned elsewhere.

Sadly, her efforts to distract them had been for naught.

As she ran, an angry shout sounded behind her and a curse came hurtling towards her back seconds later.

_Damn these Snatchers!_

Hermione hurled herself behind another tree, narrowly avoiding the curse. They had sighted her far quicker than she had expected. Though, surprisingly, it seemed that only one of them had followed her.

_I have you now_, the pointed thought cut through her sinisterly. Refusing to cower, she stepped out from behind the tree. Whirling her wand sharply, she aimed directly for the Snatcher barrelling toward her.

_Impello!_

Her spell impacted with the Snatcher's chest in a bright propulsion of light. And in a single moment, the strength of her magic violently hurled him through the air before slamming him into one of the surrounding trees with a loud, sickening crunch of shattering bones. Hermione could only scowl as his body fell limply to the floor in an unnaturally twisted heap.

_A swift death,_ she acknowledged, _and a kinder fate than he deserved._

Hearing the other wizard's enraged cries, Hermione turned and fled, hastening over the mangled roots as diligently as possible. In all the confusion, she had glimpsed a peculiar stretch of sunlight ahead of her, and it was growing in brightness as she hurried toward it.

_Maybe, this is what I'm looking for?_

She was deep within the forest and yet, the air was warming and the ground seemed less treacherous as she continued.

_This had to be it._

Bursting through the tightly packed trees and into the direct sunlight, she almost tripped in her urgency to stop. Squinting, she looked around whilst the back of her hand swiped at the sweat threatening to fall from her brow.

It was only a clearing.

There was nothing. Nothing but fallen leaves and patches of weeds.

Lost and confused, the sound of the wind coursing through the trees roared in her ears. The many swishing leaves were mocking her, laughing at her as they bore witness to her defeated expression. Standing within the empty clearing, gripped by disappointment, she almost forgot herself in her despair before a gruff chortle soon joined the laughter of the trees.

Hermione backed away slowly as the dark silhouette of a wizard appeared from the depths of the shadows.

It was the Snatcher who had first spoken; the one who had fallen for her trick with the birds. He was tall and gangly, with dark greasy hair and black beady eyes. His wand, which was shaped more like a thorn, was pointed directly at her.

_I've fooled him once already, _she reassured herself_. The sooner I subdue him again, the sooner I can find the weapon and get out of this damn forest. _

In a blink, a blinding flash of blue light shot out from the end of her wand—soaring across the small clearing towards the Snatcher. However, he simply deflected her spell and leered at her.

"You think you can take me down with a _Stupefy_?"

The wizard's seamless reaction troubled her. Not only had he deflected her spell, but he had recognised it too. This was no ordinary, dumb Snatcher.

_The weapon, _she reminded herself_. I'm wasting time._

Narrowing her eyes, Hermione shot another spell across the clearing; the pulsing wave of magic hurtling straight for the arrogant grin on his face. But the Snatcher merely waved his hand idly in front of him, dissipating the burst of magic before it could reach him.

_What the hell?_

The Snatcher tittered at her tense expression. "This is going to be too easy." A smug smile tugged at his lips as he moved his wand lazily between his fingers.

He was goading her.

Hermione's nose twitched with irritation. Although, before she could throw another spell at him, a movement at the edge of the clearing caught the corner of her eye. Stepping out from beneath the treeline, another Snatcher emerged.

_So, there had been three voices shouting earlier..._

Unlike the other wizard, this Snatcher was built tall and had strong, burly limbs. With his dirt caked skin and tattered robes, he looked as if he hadn't bathed for weeks, either.

"What have ye' got 'ere?" He asked the dark-haired Snatcher, though, his gaze remained fixed solely on Hermione.

"This bint tripped the boundary wards. I've been tracking her all the way from the fucking western border." The words snarled from within his throat as he added. "She took down Garth already."

"Did she now?" The burly Snatcher's regard was so heavy, so severe, that she could almost feel it boring right through her as he spoke. "Hand over yer wand lass, an' we might go easy on ye."

The dark-haired Snatcher scoffed. "Speak for yourself. I've been posted out here for weeks. And a pretty little thing like her..." His yellowed teeth curved into a snide grin as he appraised Hermione. "I could use a little fun."

Hermione sucked in a shallow breath as she backed further away from them. The thick base of the tree behind her offered a small relief to her situation; she wouldn't have to watch her back. There were two of them, and never before had she been looked at with such... _hunger_. She would have to stand her ground lest they tried to surround her.

"Pity, I had hoped you would run." The dark-haired Snatcher goaded her again. "I do love a good chase."

Hermione barely had time to raise her wand as a static, purple hex came rushing through the air towards her.

Swirling her wrist in a quick, circular motion, a pulsing white shield expanded from the tip of her wand, forming a protective wall of magic in front of her. The purple hex impacted loudly with her shield, causing her to stumble backwards from the sheer force of the collision. For a moment, the two spells continued to crackle viciously against one another. Then, whilst fighting to maintain a steady grip on her wand, she watched as her shield flickered a violent shade of purple before fading back to white—finally absorbing the hex. Lowering her wand, she stared at the two wizards across from her in surprise. That hex had been powerful.

"The lass canna even hold a shield steady!" The burly wizard barked out a guttural laugh. "Give up! Ye canna win."

Bristling at his words, Hermione shot her own hex at him to see how he would react. Though, he didn't even raise his wand as he casually sidestepped her hex with another guttural laugh.

_His first instinct was to use his body, not his magic. _She thought, studying his response_. A clear weakness of his, then._ Most skilled duelists wouldn't think to rely on physical strength when dodging spells. Magic was too unpredictable.

However, her insightful musings were cut short when the first Snatcher, upon noticing the curious tilt of her head, promptly shot another crackling hex towards her.

But Hermione had been ready.

Flicking her wand in an intricate pattern, a smoky haze of magic soon clouded the hex's trajectory. Puzzled, the Snatchers stared at her spell, waiting to see what would happen. Though, it wasn't long before their laughter grew loud again when the hex soared straight through the magical smoke, seemingly unaffected.

_Fools. _

The amusement quickly melted from their faces as the hex continued straight through Hermione too, and disappeared amongst the trees as if it had been no more than a reflection of light. At this sight, both wizards immediately pointed their wands at her. Their once confident expressions now hardened with suspicion.

"Why are you here? You're part of that scummy little Resistance, aren't you?"

"Aye, she is." The burly Snatcher's lip lifted into a snarl. "I canna imagine why a wee lass would have any other reason te learn them fancy spells."

"She's nothing we can't handle."

Cracking his neck, the burly Snatcher's arrogant smile spread across his face once again, marking his agreement.

Hermione's mind was screaming at her to run, to disapparate, to get as far away from this duel as possible. She barely had the strength to fight, and these wizards were definitely better trained than any other Snatchers she had run into before.

_The weapon, _the thought challenged her every instinct_. This is the resistance's last chance!_

Pushing her fear back, Hermione faced the two wizards with an angry scowl. As she glared at them, weighing her chances, the voice she always tried so hard not to think about, sounded clear within her mind.

_'Utilise your surroundings.'_

"_Bombarda maxima!_" She yelled.

The Snatchers were flung forcefully apart as the ground exploded between them. With their bodies splayed awkwardly towards the one side of the clearing, Hermione watched as they barely managed to erect shields when the mass of dirt and rocks that had been propelled into the air from the explosion, came thundering back down onto them.

_Ferio!_

The bright, yellow beam of her magic was aiming straight for the larger Snatcher still shielding himself from the falling debris. Noticing her spell, he moved at the last minute, throwing his body from her magic's path with a loud grunt before springing to his feet with more agility than she had thought him capable of.

"Yer a feisty un aren't ye?" He rolled his neck as he spat on the newly upturned ground. "_Vescor_!"

Hermione's blood ran cold at the sight of the deadly, orange curse moving in a wave towards her. It was extremely dark magic; designed to devour the victim's flesh in the most abhorrent manner. One would fare better being dunked into a pit of acid…

_Sphearidium!_

A thick shield formed around her like an orb, encasing her completely against the incoming dark curse. No ordinary shield would suffice; the Vescor curse reacted like a fluid upon contact. The putrid smell of the curse—of burning flesh—assaulted her senses as the orange wave wrapped around her protective orb, singeing the edges of the shield as it sought an opening in her encasing magic. But the shield held, only wavering slightly as the dark curse finally relented against her stronger, protective magic.

Dropping the shield, Hermione's breath left her in shallow pants as she recovered from the exertion. Raising so many shields consecutively was tiring her quickly, and running through the forest had already exhausted what little energy she had these days. Her physical strength was not what it used to be. Food and supplies were scarce within the resistance. They survived the best they could, alas, the past few weeks had been particularly difficult.

"You know your spells, girl." The dark-haired Snatcher remained to the side of the clearing, watching Hermione with a smug smile stretched across his face. He knew she was growing weary. "Try not to damage her too much, Balloch. I'm letting you have your fun, so you better let me have mine after."

The burly Snatcher laughed in reply, his wand still pointing at her. Hermione watched wide-eyed as he moved his wrist in a jagged motion, beginning his next attack. The curse he was trying to conjure was just as dark as the one before.

_I won't be able to defend myself for much longer. I need to end this now..._

Harnessing her rage, she raised her own wand out before her, throwing a simple Binding Spell across the clearing. Although the Snatcher easily deflected her spell, the deflective action had interrupted his own attack.

_Now is my chance. _

Her muscles protested against the exertion, and her mouth and throat were painfully dry, but she kept at. Firing her wand in quick procession, Hermione shot simple hex after simple hex at the Snatcher; the basic wand movements and the weak strength of each hex enabled her to keep him occupied with deflecting her every spell.

_Reducto!_

Hermione hurtled the Blasting Spell towards him. The flash of red light crackled through the air, stronger than her previous hexes. As he had done repeatedly, the Snatcher merely sidestepped the spell, not bothering to raise a shield or deflect it as he continued to laugh mockingly. But it didn't matter. Hermione had been expecting this. She had been watching… learning. As soon as the Blasting Spell left her wand, she raised her other hand out before her. Focusing her magic, she attempted to put as much power behind the wandless movement as possible.

_Sectemsempra!_

Her bare hand moved in a sharp, diagonal motion with her fingers pointing towards the ground by the time the harrowing curse had formed before her. Flicking her wrist forward, Hermione now watched her curse shooting directly for the empty space to the left of the Snatcher—the space he seemed to favour when sidestepping her spells. The Snatcher barely had time to widen his eyes as he moved away from the Blasting Spell and stepped straight into the trajectory of the deadly curse.

Her plan had worked.

The burly Snatcher's heavy-set body fell to the ground with an echoing thud as he dug his heels into the dirt, arching and shaking against the pain. His piercing screams soon became gurgled as dark red patches spread across his tattered robes until the faded grey material clung to his body, soaked with his own blood. Blood continued to pool around him, gushing freely from the large, gaping cuts across his whole body. The Snatcher continued to spasm violently as the deep, gurgling sounds of his lungs gasping for air filled the clearing, his body desperate for oxygen as he bled to death.

Hermione's gaze snapped up from the disturbing sight of the dying wizard as the crackling sound of magic soaring through the air ensnared her senses. Recognising the hex being thrown her way, she knew there wouldn't be time to form a strong enough shield.

_'Use your magic wisely.'_

_"__Erecto Muras!" _She cried out, brandishing her wand with startling speed at the hard-packed earth before her. The ground rumbled as a large wall of rocks, soil and foliage formed in front of her. A second later, and she wouldn't have been quick enough. The contents of Hermione's hastily erected wall blew apart in every direction as the Snatcher's magic detonated against it. But the wall had served its purpose; the hex hadn't reached her.

Rising from the crouched position she had assumed due to the exploding debris, Hermione faced the Snatcher on shaky legs, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards into a challenging smirk as she met his furious glare.

"I'm going to take my time with you," He growled out. "You'll be begging for me to kill you before I'm through."

Hermione was growing increasingly resentful of the remaining Snatcher before her. He had been oddly complacent whilst the other two Snatchers attacked her. It was obvious that he had been waiting for her to tire, to stumble, or to make a mistake. He wanted her weak and scared before him, but she would not bend, and she would not break.

Raising her chin defiantly, her voice rang out clearly. "Not if I kill you first."

Flicking her wand at the leaves covering the ground, Hermione transfigured them into hundreds of small, leaf-shaped arrowheads. With another wave of her wand, the arrowheads rose into the air. Hovering in front of her their glistening, sharp edges reflected ominously in the sunlight.

Appraising her actions, the snatcher snarled loudly whilst he slashed his wand through the air, forming a shimmering, yellow shield that stretched across the middle of the clearing.

_Nice try. _

Her wand and hand moved simultaneously as she pushed forward with her magic, directing the arrowheads towards the Snatcher with a surge of power. At the sight of the numerous projectiles hurtling towards him, the Snatcher stepped backwards instinctively. Knowing what would happen, Hermione watched expectantly as his reaction morphed further with rage when the arrowheads simply pierced through the yellow shield, undeterred by his feeble attempt to stop them.

Raising his wand in desperation, the Snatcher slashed wildly through the air once more, halting most of the arrowheads with an awkwardly performed spell. His enraged cry at the sight of his shield's failure promptly turned to a cry of pain as the remaining razor-sharp projectiles crashed into him. Gasping sharply, the Snatcher clutched at his side.

He was hurt.

Hermione could see a trickle of blood beginning to form beneath his hand, though, despite the few shallow cuts elsewhere on his body, this seemed to be the only serious wound.

"You're going to regret that," He gasped out, raising his wand shakily towards her. _"Crucio!"_

_Shit! _

Her previous attack had drastically plundered her remaining energy, and it wasn't easy to shield yourself against the Cruciatis Curse. There was nothing she could do to defend herself. Left with no other choice, Hermione flung herself out of the way, flinching as the curse slammed into the tree with a loud crack.

_"__Crucio!" _

Rolling over just in time, Hermione covered her head as the curse impacted with the ground next to her, spewing clumps of dirt and rocks down onto her again.

_"_C_rucio!" _

She was too late.

Blinding pain erupted within her every nerve. Writhing on the forest floor, Hermione's hoarse screams echoed amongst the surrounding trees, drowning out the Snatcher's delighted laughter. After what felt like hours, but had only been minutes, he lifted the curse and the excruciating pain subsided.

As the curse lifted, her lungs shuddered against a deep, instinctive breath. Laying on her back, she blinked up through bleary eyes at the canopy of leaves breaching the clear sky above her.

_The weapon… I can't give up… I need to…_

The sound of the Snatcher's advancing steps stilled her broken thoughts. Clenching her teeth, Hermione's hand fumbled over the ground beside her. Finally, her stiff fingers clasped around her fallen wand and she drew it close with a relieved sigh. Counting the Snatcher's footsteps, she tried to summon her courage—determined to keep fighting until the very end.

_Seven, eight, nine_…

It was no use. He had seen her reach for her wand. "_Refreno!" _His sickening voice bit out.

She rolled over and scrambled to her feet, barely avoiding the Snatcher's curse. The effects of the cruciatus still gripped her muscles. She was shaky, and stiff, and slow and yet, she had managed it somehow.

"I hope you fight back this hard when I have you under me." He sneered, glancing at the lifeless body of the other Snatcher. "But first, I'm going to teach you a little lesson."

Hermione swallowed hard; the motion catching painfully against her hoarse throat.

_"__Sero!"_

_Emineo!_

Hermione aligned her own wand against the incoming curse. The tip of her wand pierced through the dark magic, catching it momentarily. The curse crackled and fought against her hold, unfortunately, she was simply too weak to maintain control. With a strangled cry, she brought her hand down in a diagonal motion, attempting to deflect the curse away from her. Thankfully, the dark magic followed her movements, and the deafening sound of rocks splitting apart soon filled the clearing. Next to her, a large, deep crack zigzagged across the ground where the curse had impacted against the forest floor with a blinding crackle of red light.

But it hadn't been enough.

Gasping loudly as her leg suddenly crippled beneath her, Hermione toppled forward; her hands shooting out to break the fall as her body slapped against the uneven ground. A strangled cry escaped her lips from the sharp impact, the pain ringing through her shaking arms. Though, as she began to tremble with shock, Hermione felt a stronger, burning pain seeping through her. It was slow at first, but the burning grew hotter by the second and the pain kept intensifying.

Fire. It felt like fire.

_My leg! _She realised with a start._ The pain is coming from my leg!_

Looking down, Hermione let out a devastated cry. The refracted curse had caught the edge of her upper leg, shamelessly slashing through the layers of skin and muscle in her thigh. A deep, extensive wound now stared up at her.

"Painful, isn't it?" The Snatcher kicked a rock in her direction, smirking when she flinched. "Your luck has run out, filth."

With her arms straining, and her fingers digging into the ground, Hermione tried to heave herself backwards as the Snatcher slowly lifted his wand once more. From his expression, it was plain to see that not only was he going to kill her, he was going to do so much worse.

Summoning what little strength remained, her breath left her in a loud hiss as she hurled her body against the base of the tree behind her. Watching the familiar movements of the wand pointed towards her, Hermione pulled her arms up over her head in a feeble effort to protect herself. Cowering against the tree, her muscles tensed, bracing for the painful impact of the torture curse.

_This is it. _

She had come all this way, she had lost all those she loved, she had hung onto the smallest hope for all this time… for naught, it seemed.

_"CRUCIO!" _

A loud explosion of magic reverberated throughout the clearing. The very earth seemed to shake beneath her. But she felt… nothing. The curse hadn't hit her. The curse had… exploded?

Warily, Hermione lowered her arms at the realisation. Blinking in confusion, she took in the sight of the thick, blue shield stretching out in front of her. She knew this spell. It was complex. Very complex. There weren't many who were able to cast it effectively. She had only seen it performed once before.

Staring through the iridescent ripples of the shield's magic, she could see the outrage marring the Snatcher's face, though, his malice was no longer directed towards her. His black, beady eyes were now focused on the opposite edge of the clearing.

With her heart pounding against her chest, her own gaze slid towards where the Snatcher was looking. Hermione could only hope his sneer meant that whoever had arrived, had indeed come to help her. Just because they had shielded her from the torture curse, didn't necessarily mean they had less sinister plans for her. It wasn't unheard of for Snatcher's to fight each other over captives.

A prolonged pause ensued before a lone, tall figure stepped into the clearing. At the sight of the figure's tailored black robes, relief flooded through her; this was no Snatcher. However, her relief faded almost instantly as realisation dawned on her.

Only Death Eaters wore those robes.

Wide-eyed, she watched as pale, long fingers slowly lowered the concealing hood. Jerking backwards at the sight of the cold expression she knew so well, Hermione's lips parted in shock as Draco Malfoy's white-blonde hair and pointed features now gleamed faintly under the bright sunlight of the clearing.

An inexplicable feeling of unease and suspicion flitted across her awareness, and she looked quickly to the tree-line. But there was no one else. Draco had come alone.

"You have no right!" The Snatcher declared. "I caught her, she's mine!"

Ignoring the Snatcher, Draco stole a glance towards her, though, the concern she saw in his eyes was replaced just as quickly as it appeared. If it weren't for the rigidity of his back and the tight line of his jaw, she would have thought him uncaring. It had been months since she had last seen him, and yet, she could still see through the impassive mask he wore so well.

He was distressed.

"You always were a good fighter, Gorfin." Draco said flatly. "Sadly, I cannot allow you to leave this forest alive."

"You would betray the Dark Lord?" The Snatcher stalked across the clearing. His thorn-shaped wand was clutched tightly within his hand.

"You think the Dark Lord cares for the likes of _you_?"

"I'm talking about you protecting that bint." The Snatcher jabbed his finger towards Hermione. "I know she's with the Resistance."

"She's mine!" Draco seethed, closing the distance between him and the Snatcher with a single step. "I don't care about the fucking Resistance. They're losing..." He grabbed the front of the Snatcher's cloak tightly within his fist. The even, dispassionate tone of his voice was more threatening than Hermione had ever heard it before. "And I'm going to kill you just for looking at her."

"Wh—"

Draco pressed the tip of his wand against the Snatcher's throat, cutting off his reply. It all happened so quickly—Hermione didn't even see the spell leave his wand—but Draco was suddenly pushing the Snatcher away from him with a rough shove; his grey eyes watching blankly as his victim stumbled backwards helplessly.

Falling to his knees, the Snatcher began gulping around breaths that wouldn't form. Although he made no sound, it was obvious he was choking.

To say that the Snatcher's death was unsightly, would be an understatement. Hermione watched in horror as Gorfin's fingers clawed desperately at his own throat, scratching and gouging at his skin in an instinctive attempt to remove the Suffocation Spell. Keeling face first onto the ground, the Snatcher writhed and rolled over, his face turning a frightful shade of purple as his eyes bulged from their sockets. His chest heaved with short, frantic convulsions that seemed to subside over time as his lungs slowly gave up in their final plight.

At length, his body stopped twitching completely.

He was dead.

Hermione stared at the raw, gouged flesh of the Snatcher's throat. Blanching, her frightened gaze swept over the harrowing scene of the two dead Snatchers lying on either side of the clearing. Feeling her stomach drop as the adrenalin left her in panicked breaths, Hermione met the cold gaze of Draco Malfoy—who was now walking directly towards her.

"Go away!"

Draco halted at her words. Standing only a few feet away from her, she knew that he could see the extent of her wounds.

"You want me to leave you here?" Draco's asked in disbelief. "Like this?"

"I don't want your help." Hermione cried out sharply as she tried to move. She was determined to crawl out of this forest if she needed to. Once she found the weapon, of course.

"Wait—"

"Leave me!"

Gently pushing at the gash on her leg with a finger, she had to bite back a scream as a torrent of blood poured from the wound anew. It was bad. With unsteady hands, Hermione ripped at the bottom of her shirt, tearing away a long, jagged piece of material which she quickly fastened around her thigh—directly above the gash. Pulling the small, bloodied knot of the material tight, she slumped back against the tree, panting heavily as her injured leg jerked before stilling again.

"I don't care about what you _want,_" Draco said fiercely, moving towards her again.

"Don't you dare!" She shrieked. "You're not taking me away from this forest!" Her voice wavered as she became almost hysterical. Draco was now standing before her, glaring down at her with narrowed eyes, but she refused to look at him—still utterly furious that he hadn't listened to her. "You don't know how important my mission is!"

"I know exactly why you're here. What it is you're looking for..." The way he spoke gave her little reason to doubt him. "But that's none of my concern. Only you are."

Hermione was forced to meet his gaze then. "Please." She looked sad, peering up at him through wet lashes as he stood over her. "Don't take me away again."

Draco's blank expression dropped as soon as she looked up at him. Whatever he saw in her eyes, caused him to falter. "Hermione." Laced with anguish, her name came out as no more than a whisper. Raising his hand, his fingers reached out to sweep across her cheek.

Hermione balked.

"Relax, I'm not trying to force you," He promised."You know that I wouldn't apparate you anywhere in your current state."

"I wouldn't put it past you."

Frowning slightly, he ignored her reaction as he moved one of her mattered curls sticking to her cheek—his fingers lingering as he tucked it behind her ear. "I can't apparate with you, but I do need to move you from this clearing." As if to emphasise his point, he looked to the tree-line, searching for any signs of movement. "There are other Snatchers stationed nearby. I can't risk the chance that they didn't hear all the fighting."

"I can't move."

"I'll levitate you," He offered. "Though, I'll have to immobilise you first."

"No!" She dared not let him immobilise her. If she had no control over her body, she might find herself being quickly apparated away, despite what he said.

"You'll be in pain if I don't." His hands moved to cup her face, and without pause, she lifted her own hands to grasp his wrists, ready to push him away if need be.

"I've dealt with worse."

"Then I'm going to have to carry you." His brow wrinkled as he observed the extent of the gash on her thigh. "It's going to be great deal of pain."

"Then this will just have to be the worst I've dealt with."

It took a moment before Draco agreed, though, she could tell he was still reluctant. "You're sure?" He pressed.

Hermione nodded stiffly as she tried to push back the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Preparing herself for the pain she knew would come, seemed to have the opposite effect on her resolve. Not only was she exhausted, but she had been tortured, gravely wounded, and almost killed only moments before.

"It's okay." His tone was soothing. "You can let go. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

_You already have. _

"Even yourself?" She scoffed as Draco's expression became cold once more. "What? Did you think that I would just _forget_?"

Her scathing remark had no effect on him. Ignoring her again, he studied the damage from the curse, grimacing at the sight of the blood still seeping from the vicious wound. "I'm going to have to silence you. I cannot focus on healing you until I know we are at a safe distance from this clearing." Meeting her gaze once more, he added. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I understand."

Hermione stilled as Draco lifted his wand, willing herself to calm down, but her panic returned in full when his wrist began to move in the formation of an immobilising spell. _How dare he? _Though, before she could protest, he immobilised only her thigh—effectively barring the torn muscles from contracting.

_I can't argue with his logic,_ she conceded, realising his motive. The isolated charm would save her from a lot of pain whilst he moved her, and she wouldn't have use of her injured leg anyway...

Draco looked at her hesitantly, gauging her reaction before continuing. "I'm going to silence you now, okay?"

"Okay." Hermione's eyes flickered towards the blood stained ground around her. _It was necessary_."A weak one, please."

"_Silencio,_" He murmured, his gaze never leaving her own as the charm took hold. "It's weak, and it will fade, but you need to make sure…" He didn't finish his sentence.

Her brow furrowed at his words.

He hadn't wanted to scare her by saying so, but she knew he meant to recast the spell normally if there were any issues. Carefully, she attempted to speak, testing the efficiency of the charm. Thankfully, no words formed.

Reassured, Draco gave a curt nod before leaning over her once more, his eyes searching her own for permission to continue. Hermione could only frown in response; her strength was still waning with every second. A moment went by, and then another, and then suddenly she was being hauled against Draco's chest, his one arm supporting her knees and the other behind her back.

Hermione jerked violently and she threw her head back in a silent scream. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. The curse had almost severed straight through to her bone, and traces of dark magic still clung to the wound, making it excessively worse. Draco had been right to place a silencing charm on her. Hermione could only imagine the type of sounds that would be tumbling out of her right now as she pressed her face into his shoulder, hiding her quiet sobs as her whole body shuddered uncontrollably.

Gently, he cradled her in his arms as he began to walk away from the clearing. To the benefit of her pride, Draco made no comment when her tears poured freely from her eyes and her breath spluttered in short sobs against his neck. Clutching his cloak tightly within her hands, Hermione pressed closer against him, relishing in the warmth of his body and listening to the soft thudding of his heart whilst he carried her. Releasing a shaky breath, she noticed that the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat was slowly lulling her distress as her own pulse quietened to match his own.

She felt... safe.

At length, the effects of the silencing charm began to wear off, and Hermione wiped at her eyes, trying to collect herself. Staring up at Draco, she wondered how he had found her. _So much had happened between them, and now... _With a sigh, she diverted her gaze to the black robes still clenched tightly within her hands.

_This was who he was now. A Death Eater._

Hermione let go of his robes with a start. "I hate this cloak." She could feel his shoulders tense beneath her cheek as she spoke.

"I know." There was a reluctant edge to his voice. "But it's only a cloak."

"I hate seeing you like this."

Draco gave no answer. They continued in silence for a short while before his pace began to slow noticeably. Wincing from the discomfort of being carried so awkwardly, Hermione shifted a little in his arms, craning her neck to get a better view.

They were approaching another clearing.

A huff of laughter escaped her, echoing around them softly before it died out. "You're a fool."

"The ground will be softer," He stated, unperturbed. "You need to lie down."

"You're more of a fool than I thought."

Draco merely tightened his hold on her, his expression unchanging when she hissed from the pain. She knew he had done it on purpose.

"Put me down!"

"I preferred you with the silencing charm."

"Put me down you insufferable, arrogant—arghhh!"

Hemione glared up at him from the ground, panting loudly, she tried to ignore the searing pain shooting through her leg once again. "You… you… can't… just dr-drop… me!"

"Do shut up." He walked away from her, his black cloak swirling behind him. "Your ridiculous pride is going to get the both of us caught."

"My pride?" She started, but a single, exasperated look from him was all it took to quieten her.

Encircling the area where she sat, Draco held his wand tightly within his hand as he wordlessly cast protection wards, repelling wards, disillusionment charms and many other spells she could scarcely decipher. Admittedly, she was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his movements as an unsettling dizziness began to distort her vision.

Soon, Draco's murmured enchantments faded entirely as the trees rustled and the wind swept over her, jostling the leaves around her. So weak. So tired. She felt as if she were blowing away too.

With her head throbbing on her every intake of breath, Hermione began to sway slightly. Her head felt unnaturally heavy, and her neck kept lolling forward against her will. Though, for a moment, whilst ignoring the stinging pain of the dirt rubbing against her badly scraped palms, time seemed to slow down as she watched a droplet of sweat trail down her nose, accumulating at the tip, before falling to the ground.

The same pull of gravity called to her trembling body. If only she could fall so easily. Without care. Without worry.

_No! _She decided, clinging to the remaining scraps of her resolve, despite her miserable thoughts_. I cannot fall. Please! __Not yet._

_Not yet..._

But it was not meant to be.

Without warning, her stomach contracted in force, and Hermione hunched over with a gasp. "Mrrmph." The mangled sound escaped her as she fought to steady her rapid breathing. Alas, it was futile. Her body had long since given over to shock

Recoiling in on herself, she began to gag loudly. Weak and still trembling, she was helpless to stop it as she lurched forward and retched.

_Agh! _

The bitter taste of bile clung to her throat as her empty stomach continued to heave in-between her every breath. Her stomach muscles continued to spasm and contract until she simply didn't have the energy to hold her body upright anymore.

_Everyone is dead.  
_

Delirious, her head hit the ground with a muffled thud.

_I couldn't do anything to stop it.  
_

Her eyes fell closed on a sob.

_I failed. _

Despite her previous fears of giving up control, she let go.

_'Hermione.'_

_'Hermione.'_

_'Hermione...'_

That voice. There it was again. The same voice she had so longed to forget. If only she could answer. There was so much she wanted to say...

As her mind slipped away, the echoing sound of Draco fearfully calling out her name was the last thing she heard before darkness consumed her at last.

.

.

.


End file.
